Truth in the Heart of Madness
by YoukoKitsune
Summary: A new guest arrives at gregory house, what will he find in it's shrouded halls?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Gregory horror show or its characters. I only own my original characters

**Truth in the Heart of Madness **

**CHAPTER 1**

**The Arrival**

Deep in the far corners of sanity lie places where the fabric that confines what we call reality wears thin. In times of crisis, When you find yourself nearing your breaking point You may just wander into one of these places.

A hospital, Where one can rest, Perhaps run by a little patchwork man…

A lonely train station with a sign that says Last train…

Or maybe, An old beige brick building, the sign above it's purple doors reading

'Gregory house'

It is to this establishment that our story concerns.

Gregory, the owner of the Guest house was sitting at the front desk. It was a dark and stormy night (most were around here). The elderly rat was contemplating the idea of locking up early, or at least calling his young sister to mind the desk while he retired for the evening.

"It's not like we often get guests at this hour, but sti.." Gregory trailed off and a loud knock echoed through the lobby. He climbed down from his stool and opened the door.

Standing on the stoop was a young man, with thick brown hair, and eyes of an indeterminate dark hue behind a pair of gold rimmed glasses. He wore a black trench coat, pants, and shoes. A thick plaid scarf was wrapped around the lower half of his face.

Gregory stepped backward to let the young man in.

"My, my. You look like you've lost your way" Gregory stated in a soothing tone as the man wiped his feet and loosened his scarf. The man's nose and mouth had a red tinge, and he sniffled as though fighting a severe cold.

"I am terribly sorry to intrude. I don't know how I got lost" Replied the guest in a timid quiet voice. "But I was supposed to visit my mother, … I don't have any money with me" the poor man looked terribly upset as though afraid Gregory would turn him out into the storm again. "If you could please, please spare a room… or a couch or chair, just for the night." Gregory silenced the man with a wave of his paw.

"Say no more my friend. If you've found your way here, you have paid for your room well in advance." He chuckled his high pitched chuckle. "follow me, I'll get a room ready for you." They walked up a flight of stairs and down a long green- carpeted hallway.

Gregory opened the door to a room, they both entered and Gregory began some tidying while the guest looked around. The room was done in shades of brown and green, the carpet and walls were forest and emerald green, the bed spread, furniture, and molding all in brown. On one wall was a door and a large fire place, on the other was a glass door with a small balcony over looking the garden.

"I just cleaned this room today so a few touches here and there and you'll be all set." With a loud cracking noise Gregory began wrestling a large bundle of kindling over toward the fire place. Lighting it on fire he reached under the bed and got some fire wood to add before pointing to the last door. "there is your bathroom, and clothes go in the wardrobe, anything else I can do for you?...uh I'm sorry I didn't catch your name"

"Alexander Traverse" The guest took off his still dripping coat revealing a tall, thin figure in a damp gray shirt. Alex noticed the dripping and quickly hung it over the shower head in the bathroom before returning apologizing profusely. "I know its late and the kitchen is probably closed… Its just I was supposed to be at my mother's by now … and she likes to cook"

"So you didn't eat before hand, say no more my friend" Gregory got up and started toward the hallway door. Gregory got a good impression of this man's mother he shuddered slightly at how similar she was to his own. '_Maybe that's why he seems different from other guests?' _Gregory opened the door and shook his head " Well I'm sorry to say I'm almost positive the hotel chef has already gone to bed, but our nurse Catherine is a pretty decent cook or I can at least manage tea and a sandwich." And with that he left as his guest moved in front of the fireplace to warm himself.

As Gregory made his way to the kitchen he saw Catherine loitering at the bottom of the stairs.

"I suppose you've seen the new guest, Catherine?"

"yes I did. When am I allowed to get a blood sample?" The pink lizard smirked in anticipation.

"Not just yet, I think this one will need some conditioning before we give his soul to Mama." Gregory took the nurse's arm and led her toward the kitchen. "We can start right now, help me prepare some food for him. When he reveals the true cause of his pain we can continue as planned." Once in the kitchen Gregory put some water in a kettle and leftover soup from the fridge in a sauce pan and began to heat them, Catherine began to make some sandwiches.

"how will you make him stay that long without becoming suspicious? If he stays to long he is bound to figure out what your doing"

"he will stay… I am sure of it."

* * *

Alexander Traverse moved away from the fire place to the window, rain flowed over the outside of the glass giving the garden an indistinct appearance. Alexander found his gaze frequently drawn to a rose bush the color a deep red and in the dark light of the stormy evening the flowers were only one visible shade above black.

In the corner of his eyes Alex saw movement near the bush, in a flash of lightning he could have swore he saw a young woman out in the rain. In his mind he flashed back to rainy days in a green house, the laugh of a young woman echoed softly.

* * *

"_we should tell her Alex"_ the woman whispered as he stared at the soft pink and white roses of the greenhouse.

Suddenly the image blurred as he tried to shake himself from his memories, but not before he heard an echo of three people saying no

The young woman, her voice high pitched with distress

An older woman shouting in anger

His own a shocked whisper of disbelief .

* * *

Again the movement in the garden still staring down his eyes saw a young face, the face of the woman was as lovely as the countenance of any fairy princess, but bore an expression which to Alexander would be more fitting on the star of a Greek tragedy. Long straight brown hair, no as he squinted he realized she was more redhead than brunette. Looking up she met his eyes with her own solid black ones, no white, no iris, just black

At first Alexander wondered why this didn't surprise him… but his instinct told him she was like the kindly rat who greeted him

_"they belong here..."_ as he thought about that he saw the girl pick a dark rose and raise her hand in greeting. She moved toward a door in the side of the garden and at once Alexander was on his feet running toward his door. He had just thrown the door open and Gregory stood in the doorway the tray of food in hand

"Oh and where are you going at this hour?" the rat asked.


	2. Chapter 2

Truth in the Heart of Madness

**Truth in the Heart of Madness**

**Chapter 2**

**In the morning light**

"So you say you saw a girl… in the garden?" Gregory shook his head as he listened to the guests story. "There is a girl who tends the garden and cuts the flowers for the rooms but I can imagine that she would be up this late" As he spoke he collected the now empty dishes and noticed there wasn't a flower on the desk in this room. "Why don't you rest and I will got out to the garden. If she is up I'm sure she will give me a rose for your room" with that said he turned and left.

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Gregory made his way downstairs and through the kitchen, dropping off the dishes and pausing one more time to make sure everything else was up to Chef's standards. Then he opened the door leading out into the garden. The rain had let up and a glance at Mr. Traverse's dark room confirmed he had taken Gregory's advice and gone to bed, turning back to the garden Gregory sighed.

"Come on out here! I know your up" He screeched. From between two of the larger plants a female figure stepped out into the open night air. For a permanent resident of the house she still looked pretty human. She had long red hair, solid black eyes , a pretty face that tended to hold a rather sad and distant expression almost all of the time, the only feature other than her eyes that would mark her as a permanent resident was that her skin was actually a pale spring green "_not that it shows in this light" _Gregory thought.

The girlstood statue still as she waited for Gregory to state his business and for a brief moment it was hard to tell where the dark of night ended and her plain navy dress began. "The guest saw you, Just what are you up to?"

"up to?" She asked. "I am not up to"

"Don't give me that act! I can hardly remember the last guest that could describe you in anyway…. This one shows up and suddenly Your not afraid of drawing attention to yourself?" It was true Gregory did not even need double digits to count the total of guests who noted the girl, which in his mind was a good thing.

"Every guest you speak to, We have problems with. You are almost as much trouble as that darn cat!" Gregory tilted his head toward the barred window belonging to Neko Zombie before grinning. "You leave this one alone do you understand? I wouldn't want to have any unfortunate events occur" The girl's face became ashen as she took the hint.

"I get your meaning" she mumbled turning to the rose bush Alexander had admired, before she reached in and gently plucked a flower bare handed. "I suppose you will want this for his room?" Gregory just snatched the rose wincing as he jabbed his paw on the thorns before storming back inside.

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The next morning

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Dawn breaking through the curtain woke Alexander the next morning, getting up and pulling the curtain back however revealed the sky gray and a downpour still threatening. Not surprisingly this wasn't an incentive for Alexander to move on with his travels.

"I wonder if Gregory would mind putting me up for another couple nights at least until someone can give me directions."

Turning to the wardrobe in which he had unpacked his clothes, Alexander was shocked to find that his 3 shirts and pants were not alone in the space. About 12 other shirts and pants in a variety of different colors also had taken up residence.

"all right……. Either my clothes have started breeding or someone stocked the closet, during the night" taking out his clothes plus another set, he went and fetched his now dry coat from the bathroom. Placing the jacket in the wardrobe he closed and locked the door. "Your going to look like a fool after this one Alex" he muttered to himself as he opened the door.

Sitting innocently inside where ten jackets, all the same style and size but in a variety of colors. "a magic wardrobe?..." Alex marveled aloud, Then he thought back, after all this place was run by a talking rat… and the girl in the garden could easily have been a figment of his imagination. "Okay, so the magic wardrobe isn't the weirdest thing in this place." With that he removed his coat from the closet and continued to get ready for the morning.

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Another resident of the hotel was also up at dawn. In his kitchen Hell's Chef was chopping ingredients for today's breakfast. The rest of the house was silent as the grave, the various residents all aligning to a new schedule as it always was when the latest guest arrived. The courtyard door opened and a red-headed girl entered with some fresh vegetables from the garden.

"Already on time I see chef. So has the new guest run afoul of your standards yet?" the girl chirped. Even though her face was sad her voice was far to chipper for anyone who was up half the night then early again in the morning. Chef huffed and gestured to a covered basket on the counter then turned back to his task. The girl smiled and fished a warm muffin out of the container. "No kind words for me this morning?" she teased kindly.

The only response was the cleaver suddenly hitting the cutting board with a bit more force than necessary. Chef never really had kind words for anyone but Catharine, especially the guests. It wasn't that Chef didn't _like_ the guests but they changed things. Every visitor affected the house differently, agendas distorted, attitudes altered, even the residents appearances changed somewhat. Nothing to be done about it though, so Chef and the others adapted and went on as best they could. Most like his current companion pulled back and didn't show themselves unless necessary, others like him who were indispensable had to ride out the changes.

Before the guest had shown up Chef had a huge breakfast planned for the population of the house. With no external influence the inhabitants acted like one large dysfunctional family, while it wasn't a good idea to sit certain people next to one another, none would not risk there own existence to preserve another. Now instead of a comfortable sit down and chat morning it would be a morning of everyone dropping by when they could grab sustenance and leaving.

"Thanks for the food, Chef. Oh here you'll want to give this to Catharine when she stops in" The girl laid a bouquet of roses on the center table. all were deep red except for one which was a pale lavender "your anniversary is a special day and all, right?" Chef froze and looked at her "don't worry, I wont tell, with all you do around here? Not surprised it slipped your mind" and with that the girl left Chef to continue with his work.

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About 30 minutes after he woke up Alexander went down into the dining room, there on the table he found a tray of meat pies. He picked one, sat and ate it. "these are pretty good, I have to get this recipe for mother. Last time she made these I swear it was like something out of Sweeney Todd "

He went in the kitchen to thank the chef but backed out again quickly for a giant pink female lizard and an oversize living candle seemed to be having a private moment.

"well _that _has officially become the weirdest thing I have seen here" Alexander went back into the lobby "if I am going to be here for any length of time id better get to know my way around"

As he walked Alexander heard a soft mewing noise. He began following the sound until he came to a heavy metal door, much like a prison cell. Alex knelt and looked through the key hole and there was a black and white cat wearing a little 'jack ketch' t-shirt. The poor creature was all stitched up looking like it walked out of some horrible horror movie. As he watched, it saw him and padded over to the door.

"you moved in upstairs, didn't you? Please go get the key from behind the front desk, I need to talk with you." Alexander immediately left to do as the feline asked.

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A/N not exactly happy with how this chap turned out. thanky you to everyone who read and reveiwed the feedback is greatly appreciated.

Red roses mean love. Lavender roses represent wonder and impossibility, with a sense of the magical. There for giving someone a bouquet of all red + 1 lavender means something along the lines of : out of all the loves I could have you are the most special to me, Or: You have won my heart above all others.


	3. Chapter 3

Truth in madness 3

**Truth in the Heart of Madness**

**Chapter 3**

Alex went up to the main desk. No one was on duty and he quickly secured a heavy wrought iron key that matched the door. He turned and made his way back to the cat's cell. Upon entering he saw the feline huddled in a corner.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Alexander asked quietly

"You need to leave this place quickly, yes" murmured the cat "nothing good will come of you staying here" he opened one eye as wide as possible to study his visitor "your about to protest?"

"Gregory has been very kind to me, and I don't know how to get to my destination." Alexander explained. He sat on the floor next to the cat. "And as for good luck I haven't had it my whole life, so I'm not too worried."

"Gregory hasn't caused you trouble because he has not figured out why you came here." the cat sighed. "But that will change"

"Who are you anyway? And what is this place?"

"I am Neko Zombie, and as for this place it is a hotel for those their grip on reality" The cat purred "but your not as far gone as some, you can get away from here."

"But how do I?" Alex started, but Neko zombie suddenly tensed and listened.

"Gregory is coming back! If he catches you in here he will make sure you never leave this place. Take this," the kindly cat handed Alexander another key. This one was also wrought iron like the one before but in the handle was a brass disk engraved with a rose blossom centered in a heart made of moon-flower vines. "Take it, don't let anyone see it or get it from you. Go out in the courtyard from the kitchen. Follow the wall till you find the gate, which will lead you to the garden. Go through the first gate then use the key on the second. Find Faithe I heard you mention her to Gregory so you have no problems seeing her. Go now!" Alexander jumped up and started to leave the room

"But what about you?" He asked feeling bad for Neko, the poor creature did not deserve this treatment.

"Don't worry about me" was the quiet reply "I will feel better knowing you escaped" Once he heard this Alexander left.

Alexander wandered toward his room to think about what he had been told. But before he made it there a hand on his arm stopped him. Turning sharply he saw the hand belonged to the pink lizard nurse.

"Come with me dear, I have time to squeeze you in for a check up" And with that she dragged him down the hall toward her office. Once in there and seated on the exam table Alexander noticed the HUGE syringe and began to try to come up with ways to avoid giving a blood sample. "Now Gregory mentioned you looked as if you had a cold when you came here, how is that coming along?" asked Catherine.

"Umm fine ma'am a goodnights rest and some very nice food and I feel much better, so really there's no need to be concerned"

"Nonsense, I always look after our guests. I should probably take a blood sample and examine it to make sure it was nothing worse than a cold" Catherine picked up her favorite syringe and walked toward Alexander, who immediately began to look for something to distract her. Seeing the bouquet in a little brown ceramic cup he smiled.

"Someone must love you dearly ma'am" he supposed pointing to the flowers. Catherine paused and nodded. Alex continued "such an arrangement means a lot. It's so romantic when an every day token most people would take for granted hides such a deep message"

"I'm surprised, most people wouldn't have a clue to the meaning" Catherine mused aloud, putting the syringe down and pulling up a stool.

"It's my job ma'am I design flower arrangements for a T.V. studio, everything from basic pr functions, to center pieces, a couple of my designs have even made it on screen…. I don't suppose you've seen 'as the kitchen sinks'?" Catherine shook her head "oh well but I do love a good love story my self" Alex finished

"Well I am sorry to say most love stories here have a tragic ending" Catherine said as she reached for her needle. Suddenly a blue female dog with a plant growing from her head stumble in the room.

"Oh Catherine, sorry to bother you. I just felt so weak I don't think I could have possibly made it to my room" the lady dog murmured. Seeing his chance Alexander jumped to his feet.

"Not at all ma'am why don't you lay down right here" He took the dogs paw and guided her to where he sat a moment before. "Ill leave you two ladies alone. We will have to talk another time miss…."

"My name is Catherine" the nurse said. Alexander nodded and left as he did he heard her telling the lady dog what a gentlemen he was. Deciding to waste no more time, the guest made his way through the kitchen and out to the garden gate trying not to look suspicious. Thankfully that wasn't an issue as he did not run into another creature on his path.

Once he arrived at the gate Alexander stopped and took a deep breath, opened the gate and went in. immediately to his right was a well organized vegetable/ herb garden growing almost everything one could want for to cook with. To his left was the beautiful variety of rose bushes Alexander could see from his room. A worn path split these sections in half and led to a gate which matched the key he carried. He approached this gate unlocked it, and went through.

Alexander felt as if he'd fallen into his dreams of the green house. The colors, the smells, it was disorienting at first till another look around anchored him again. Flowers that grew here meant something there was white bushy Absinth; fuchsia Amaranths, yellow daffodils, bright blue Anemones, multiple colors of strange looking Asphodel and Columbine flowers, Almond trees with star shaped blossoms framed the entire area. '_Sad love? Waiting for hope?'_ he tried to make sense of it but his mind couldn't grasp it _'what are you trying to say?'_

While He was thinking Alexander walked deeper into the garden. Suddenly the thick foliage parted revealing a small stone cottage, some freshly turned plots, and two figures leaning over another plot mid process. One was a blood-stained skeletal warrior in blue armor, and the other was the red-haired, black eyed girl Alexander had seen before. Before he could say anything the girl looked up at him, on her face was a forlorn and wistful expression.

"Care to lend a hand?" she asked in a cheerful voice that belied her facial expression. "Of course I could have those children who have nothing better to do than spy on us help" she raised the volume of her voice mentioning said children "yes, sir there is enough _boring_ chores to do it would keep that lot busy right till bedtime"

All of a sudden a group of five young creatures, a blond rat, a wind-up clock, a red spinner like from a board game, a little bandaged dog with an axe in his head, and a female cactus leapt up from where they had been hiding and dashed back toward the hotel.

Leaning on her shovel the young woman whistled.

"Now I think they set a new land speed record with that dash" she turned to the warrior "think it was something I said?" Both of them laughed and returned to work and Alexander who was still a bit dazed picked up a shovel to help. The 3 worked the next hours in comfortable silence.


	4. A futile Whish

Truth in madness 4

Truth In The Heart OF Madness

Chapter 4

A futile Whish

A/N YaY! I got this up in time for my birthday. Again I want to thank my readers for reading this.

Alexander was confused, normally when in the presence of others silence made him nervous. He would then attempt fill the silence stammering out random and disjointed thoughts. But here working with these two Alexander felt more peaceful than he had for a long time, eventually though the new planting plot was finished. Once the tools were put away and Alexander washed his hands at a water pump they all went inside the hut made of stone, it was actually smaller than Alexander's room a bed and small table with 5 stools tucked underneath it were all by the way of furniture with a small trap door leading to a basement of sorts. Faithe (Alexander assumed that was her name) pulled out a stool and took a seat before speaking with the warrior.

"Hey Dokuro why don't you go find Gunman, See if he's interested in a round or two of cards?" the soldier bowed and left. Once he was gone Faithe turned to Alexander. "So Neko gave you the key, I am sure you have quite a few questions?"

"Uh yeah how about what happened to me? Have I gone crazy? Am I dead?" he asked these all on one breathe and had to pause.

"To answer in reverse: maybe, possibly, and how should I know? The real question is what are you going to do about it?" Her expression took on a rather no-nonsense cast and Alexander paled.

"Well to make a informed decision one should have all the"

"You're stalling because?" she asked coldly

"I am not stalling and if I were how would you know? You and I have only just met" came the defensive answer.

"No I don't know you, per se. But do tell m if I'm wrong. You hate conflict, all your life you've lived to make the people you care about happy even when it's cost you dearly and now unless you feel like your in danger you are going wait for it all to work out like it always seemed to before" At that moment Alex wasn't sure but Faithe's eyes seemed to grow distant and out of focus "But it wont, and no one will save you" she got up leaned against the frame of the open door, her gaze cast out over the garden. "And then it won't matter if you go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood." She whispered her voice now as sad as her face. All of the sudden they heard the sound of the inner gate and it snapped Faithe back to the here and now. "Ok Alex here is what you need to know. Everything here means something to you beyond the first impression. Once you understand you will have the power to make your decision"

"What is the meaning? If you know you have to tell me!" Alex was shocked Faithe had actually been quite close with her first opinions, and if she was that close she may hold the answers.

"No I can't, and I can't tell you why I can't" Faithe shook her head. Before she could say anything else Dokuro returned with a male cactus wearing a sombrero. The warrior carried a covered basket and in the cactus' hands was a sealed pitcher of a pale honey colored liquid.

"My lady I have brought whom you requested" the samurai announced as he and the cactus set down their cargo. It was then that the cactus seemed to notice Alexander's presence.

"Senorita? Is this one playing as well?" he eyed Alexander with a suspicious eye.

"Yes Gunman this is the new guest Alexander" she opened the trap door and started down "I'm going to get the cards also some cups and plates, Dokuro care to lend a hand?"

"Yes my lady" the warrior also began to descend into the hatch. After they were both out of sight Cactus Gunman turned to Alexander with an appraising stare.

"Senor, I would advise you to be careful around senorita Faithe. As of right now I have no quarrel with you. But if she were hurt I would avenge her and so would Dokuro"

Alexander swallowed as the cactus patted his sidearm.

"She's always so sad it seems how would I know if I did"

"She has a reason to be sad, senor." The cactus settled on stool and began a story.

"A long time ago, she lived on a farm. She had almost everything she could want including an engagement to one of the most sought after men in the nearest town. The only thing Faithe didn't have, though she didn't know it, was his love. She would go out of her way to make him happy and though he seemed loyal, When ever he traveled on business he would take company of ladies of the night. Then one day he left unexpectedly and never returned home. Faithe waited for 3 years but there was no sign of him, then he appeared to her in spirit. He brought her spirit here, this place…"

"I have heard a lot guests have trouble leaving" Alexander supplied.

"Si, the man ended up stuck here but he made a deal you see. He told Faithe he was trapped and if she would stay in his place he would find a way to break the hold. For a long time she used to sit in the lobby, everyday awaiting his return" Alexander look about to interrupt with a question and Cactus gunman shook his head "No Senor I don't remember how long it was, but after she began to wander the mansion. One day on her walk she noticed this section of the garden and in it was Gregory's mother. The mother told Faithe that long before her arrival there had been a resident who had cared for the long overgrown garden. In those days not only could the roses show people their deepest desires, but the caretaker could also use them divine in scenes in the outside world on the still water of the Birdbath."

"Birdbath? But I walked through the garden to get here there isn't a birdbath" Alexander looked confused.

"No senor, there isn't. Not _now_" Cactus Gunman took the conversation back a little annoyed at the interruption "but there was one it was black with silver letters in the bowl 'if you know what you want then make a whish. Ask, and you shall see your whish'. Anyhow so Faithe began to tend the garden and over the years it changed, and changer her. She became one of us and gained the power she whished to have over the garden" Cactus Gunman looked up at Alexander who's eyes were wide. "You see where this goes one day a cut rose showed her the image of his return. So the next day she took another scattered its petals on the water, and beseeched the magic to show him to her."

He paused and shook his head "Gregory, Catherine, and I were in the courtyard when we heard the most awful shriek. We ran back here to find Faith weeping and rose vines which had grown on the birdbath tightening until it splintered into pieces. She keeps the pieces down _there_" he gestured to the trap door just as Dokuro and Faithe returned carrying cups, plates, a couple jars of fruit preserves, some utensils, and a deck of playing cards.

"So what should it be today?" Faithe said with a positive quality to her voice as she set up the table "about 5 rounds of the usual?" she looked up at Alexander "ever play Cheat?" Alexander shook his head "well the object is to discard all the cards from your hand. This is done by placing one or more cards, rank must be one above the rank played by the previous player, and you then select the cards to play, announce how many are being played and their rank. If you don't have it bluff, but if the other players think you're bluffing they can call it. Get caught bluffing and you have to take the whole pile but if the challenger is wrong they take it." With the rules explained all settled down and began to play.

A/N : you know how some authors say " I wont update until I get (insert number here) reviews"? yeah I don't want to be that author. So if you could please leave some feedback. Did you like it? Hate it? Am I doing something wrong? Drop a review, ty.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The darkest dream

"I lay down three five" Musha Dokuro said laying three cards on the decent sized pile.

"I don't think so hombre" Cactus Gunman said.

"You accuse me!" Dokuro said reaching for his spear.

"Si" Cactus reached for his gun.

"Need I remind both of you…" Faithe said not looking up from pouring herself a drink "_Either_ of you leak on my floor, you _both_ will be scrubbing it for the next few hours? We play every other day no need to get cutthroat now" Both players grumbled and Cactus turned the cards over revealing three fives, he sighed and took the pile.

"Ill lay one six" Alexander said playing safe and no one questioned him.

"Tres siete" Cactus threw down two cards

"Wrong… Not when Alexander holds two, Gunman" Faithe countered and the cactus took his cards back. "Right then" she said "I play two eights" she lay the two cards down which would have emptied her hand.

"Umm" Alex saw Faithe play an Eight earlier… why hadn't she discarded these two then? "I think you're bluffing Faithe"

"Sure about that Alexander?" she stared at him her dark eyes giving away nothing.

"N… no" Alex looked around to see if Dokuro or Gunman would back him up… they didn't. "I uh withdraw my claim"

"That's game the…" suddenly the door to the cottage opened and a small white sheep in a blue and white night shirt tread wearily into the room, it was yawning heavily and dragging a pillow. "You three should go its getting late" Faithe mentioned to her companions as she got up and hoisted the little ram into her arms. Gunman and Dokuro said their goodbyes and left as Alexander started to leave Faithe turned to him

"Stay just a minute or two longer, please Alexander" she reached under the bed and rolled out another slightly smaller one, then she placed the lamb in it. Edging around the far side of the table Faithe went to a cupboard and pulled out a white ribbon, then fetched a yellow rose from outside.

"Faithe? Can I have some tea?" the sheep mumbled as Faithe began wrapping the rose stem with white ribbon, she paused and made a hand gesture and from the window a rose vine came in and poured tea into one of the unused cups from earlier then handed it to the lamb.

"There you go sleepy sheep" Faithe then turned to Alex and handed him the rose. "Put this in water in your room, it will help make things clear after you've had a good nights rest" Alexander took the gift and was about to ask more questions, but Faithe was already attending to her small guest so he turned and left.

He went back through the kitchen and through the house, and toward his room. Alexander was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice anyone or anything he passed, at the top of the stairs there stood Gregory who quickly got his attention.

"I've heard you had a busy day my friend" Gregory said with a smirk. Alexander looked up and saw the little blond rat from earlier peeking around the corner. "I don't suppose you can tell me where you got the key to the back garden?" the question brought his attention back to Gregory.

"This?" He held it up remembering what how Neko implied it would be bad if Gregory found out Alexander had gone there. "I just found it while walking in the hall; while I was looking at the roses I noticed a matching gate"

"And?"

"And I went there, ended up playing cards, and had a wonderful time"

"I suppose you heard all manner of wild tales"

"If by wild tales you mean the old war stories told by Gunman and Dokuro ?" Alex shook his head and squeezed past Gregory "those are the only stories I've heard, if you'll excuse me I will be heading to my room "

Once in his room Alexander looked around, found a cup and placed the rose in it. Then he got settled in for the night looking at the Rose.  
"White ribbon in a bouquet usually mean truth and clarity and a single yellow rose means……" he muttered to himself as he dosed off.

* * *

Alexander was working in his home greenhouse with a pretty blonde woman working with him

"How are you both holding up Camellia?" he asked and the girl smiled

"We are fine Alex, though I think you should be painting the nursery instead of putting that arrangement together" she unconsciously moved her hand over her stomach

"Can not be helped really, love. My shop is in the same building as the T.V studio and they want this done for the party tomorrow… they and people connected with them make up about 89% of my business"

"You're good at this, you should move to a new location"

"I will eventually but you must admit we are going to need the steady patronage soon enough, Afterwards I will" he was drawing a bouquet checking colors and meanings, along with a list of preferred flowers that he had been given. Camellia came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Also we are supposed to have lunch with your mother tomorrow… I'm almost 5 months along we should tell her, Alex" Alex reached up and clutched her hand as a chill ran up his spine he turned and stared into her ice blue eyes

"Please Camellia, Please, just wait to tell her if you're alone, I have a really bad feeling…. Please?" Camellia tightened her grip on Alex's hand.

"All right" She murmured

* * *

Alex tossed in bed as he tried to wake up. He cracked his eyes open and could swear he saw the white ribbon begin to glow, but before he could react darkness swooped in to claim him again.

* * *

It was a day or 2 later, Alex found his Mother, Camellia, and himself having lunch at his mother's on the upstairs balcony. The house was made of gray stone and the edge of the balcony was surrounded by a knee high stone railing more for form than function. They are sitting and talking and Alexander is hoping that maybe they can get through all this with out his mother finding out. After all Camellia was just barely showing. Before he can think of anything else though his pager goes off, checking the screen he sees the number of the P.R. department of the station. Alex got up and went inside and down to the front hall to answer the page.

"I don't want to talk to them" but none the less without his own control his hand dialed the number on his pager.

"No!" cam a sudden fearful shriek from Camellia, followed by a sickening thump.

"She didn't fall" whispered Alexander shutting his eyes tight and trying to convince himself otherwise. "She didn't…she didn't… she didn't"

"_She did" _came a wordless nudging voice in the back of his mind _"now deal with it"_

"Seeing this will change nothing" Alexander still denied the voice. He suddenly felt a pair of his hands on his shoulders turn him around to face the garden. His eyes opened quickly and he saw a fading flash of familiar pale green. But then all his attention turned to Camellia. Her blue dress that matched her eyes and her fine blond hair now a mess with her own seeping blood as she stared sightlessly toward the door.

Alexander suddenly shot up out of bed he noticed the rose and Gunman's earlier words echoed his head _"He told me cut roses could show people their dreams… but that was my worst memory relived… Faithe must have known!"_

Alexander leapt from the bed grabbed the rose out of its pot and threw the bloom where it fell behind the bed without a sound. A whine escaped Alexander as he held in a scream of anguish and stormed out to Faithe's cottage.

**A/n Merry Christmas, And Happy Holidays! sorry about being gone so long but my computer went on strike. anyhow please reveiw and i hope to have another update soon**


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